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Petrographic Report
A Client
Contents Sample details............................................................................................1 Methods of investigation.............................................................................1 Petrographic description.............................................................................2 Summary.....................................................................................................3 Images........................................................................................................3
Moorland Slates OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
Issued by Petrolab Ltd
i
Petrographic Report
A Client
Report identification Client
A Client
Report title
Moorland Slates
Analysis required
Detailed petrographic report by optical microscopy.
Client order ref.
xxxxxx
Client contact
A Contact
Report ID (issue date)
OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
Issue note
Initial issue
Prepared by
J Strongman MSci ARSM
Checked by
J Fletcher BSc MSc
Limitations This report relates only to those samples submitted and specimens examined and to any materials properly represented by those samples and specimens. This report is issued to the Client named above for the benefit of the Client for the purposes for which it was prepared. It does not confer or purport to confer on any third party any benefit or right pursuant to the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
Moorland Slates OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
Issued by Petrolab Ltd
ii
Petrographic Report
A Client
Sample details Two samples of unused/ unweathered roofing slate (Moorland standard & Moorland reject), of dimensions 500 mm x 250 mm x 6mm (nominal thickness), were provided. Both samples are reported to be from the same source; one is reported to be a standard slate and the other is reported to be a reject due to high pyrite content. Table 1 Samples received Sample ref.
Type
Mass
Condition
Moorland standard
roofing
2194
unused
Moorland reject
roofing
2056
unused
The investigation requested was a detailed petrographic description of both samples and determination of sulphide content of the Moorland reject slate.
Methods of investigation Preliminary investigation
Both samples were examined, as received, and after careful washing to remove loose debris, using a Nikon SMZ-U stereomicroscope. The microscope has a continuous zoom range of 7.5x to 75x and it is equipped with a 150W continuous ring, fibre optic illuminator. It is useful for the preliminary examination of samples and it is possible to discriminate and sometimes identify features as small as 100 m in size. The microscope has a trinocular head and can be used for low power photomicrography. Sample preparation
Two standard 50 mm x 25 mm polished thin sections were prepared from each
sample. One section was cut perpendicular to cleavage and the other one parallel to the relict bedding.
The sections were examined by conventional transmitted and reflected light
polarising microscopy using a Nikon Labophot 2A research polarising microscope. Digital photomicrographs were taken using a Nikon DXM1200F 12 megapixel camera fitted to the trinocular head of the microscope
The abundance of sulphide minerals in the reject slate was calculated from chemical assay of the total and acid soluble sulphur in the slate.
Moorland Slates OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
Issued by Petrolab Ltd
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Petrographic Report
A Client
Petrographic description Hand specimens Both slates are unweathered/ unused slates. The slate is a uniform medium-greenish grey colour. They show evidence of lithological banding intersecting the cleavage surfaces, individual bands are approximately 1 mm thick. Isolated, unweathered pyrite crystals (FeS 2) are disseminated through both the slates and are visible with the stereomicroscope. They are extremely fine, typically < 100 m. The reject slate also contains discontinuous bands (< 10 cm) of coarse pyrite, these bands follow relict bedding planes in the slate. Individual pyrite crystals are approximately 300 m. Chemical analyses of the total sulphide and acid soluble sulphur content of the reject slate gives an equivalent pyrite content of 0.15wt% pyrite. In both samples sulphide content is composed almost entirely of pyrite with only traces of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. There is no evidence of the more reactive iron sulphide marcasite. Petrography
Texture and fabric,
weathering & alteration
Phase, abbreviation Sericite
The slate is made up principally from sericite mica and pale green chlorite with a very strong preferred orientation that defines the cleavage. The slate also contains minor quartz and iron oxides, and traces of calcite and sulphides (pyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite). The chlorite porphyroblasts and lenses of quartz and calcite give the appearance of a coarser grained textured slate. The sections show no weathering or discolouration.
Abundance Major+
Description Chlorite
Quartz
< 2.5 m
40 m
10 m
Platy crystals of sericite mica with a strong preferred orientation defining cleavage, interbedded with chlorite. Minor
Description
Grain size ( min | max | typical )
< 2.5 m
200 m
20 m
Platy crystals with a strong orientation defining cleavage, interbedded with sericite micas. Also occurs as larger porphyroblasts orientated at high angles to the foliation. Minor
10 m
150 m
50 m
Anhedral crystals clustered in layers defining original bedding at ~30 to cleavage.
Also present with calcite in lenses orientated parallel to cleavage, these have maximum length of circa 500 m and are up to 100 m in thickness. Around coarse euhedral pyrites in reject sample also develops in pressure fringes parallel to cleavage. o
Description
Haematite/Limonite Description Calcite
Minor
Pyrite Pyrrhotite
Moorland Slates OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
50 m
20 m
Platy crystals, generally orientated parallel with cleavage. A small population in
chlorite porphyroblasts are orientated at a high angle to foliation. Trace
Description
< 2.5 m
5 m
80 m
20 m
Subhedral crystals clustered with quartz in lenses orientated parallel to cleavage.
Trace
< 5 m
300 m
70 m
Issued by Petrolab Ltd
Page: 2 of 7
Petrographic Report
A Client In both samples found as disseminated subhedral grains and clusters of grains (sub parallel with cleavage) they have an average grain size of <10 m (grains range from <5 m 100 m).
Description
Chalcopyrite Description
Also found as coarse euhedral pyrites in the reject slate where they appear to follow relict bedding and probably represent lenses of pyrite. These bands are > 6 mm thick i.e. at least the thickness of the slate and the pyrite is coarse and equigranular, circa 300 m. Trace
< 5 m
100 m
10 m
In both samples found as rare disseminated subhedral grains and clusters of grains (sub parallel with cleavage).
Summary 1. Both samples are from a uniform medium-greenish grey, high quality, hard slate. The slate is composed of compact layers of chlorite and sericite. These layers create a strong foliation and define the cleavage. 2. Relict bedding is defined by coarser bands of quartz calcite (and in the reject slate coarse pyrite) at intervals of approximately 1 mm. Bedding intersects the cleavage at approximately 30o. 3. Pyrite is the most common sulphide, there are also traces of chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite. There is no evidence of the more unstable iron sulphide marcasite. The overall sulphide content of both samples is extremely low; even in the reject slate the sulphide content is <0.15%. 4. There are two populations of sulphide in the slate: i. Fine disseminated pyrite chalcopyrite occurring as subhedral single grains and clusters, individual grains have an average grain size of < 10 m. This occurrence of sulphide is not likely to cause any deterioration of the slate. ii. The second coarser population of pyrite found in the reject slate follows relict bedding and occurs as lenses of euhedral crystals (individual crystals of approximately 300 m). Lenses are at least 6 mm thick, i.e. the thickness of the slate and may cause the slate to fail if these sulphides were to oxidise.
Images Colour images (scanned images and annotated photomicrographs of each sample) begin over-page.
Moorland Slates OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
Issued by Petrolab Ltd
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Petrographic Report
A Client
Samples received A
Samples received
Photograph of samples as received
(scale in cm). Standard slate on left, reject on right. Location of thin sections is marked. Image A Fuji S3 Pro digital camera Daylight balanced oblique light
Moorland Slates OPxxxx(a) xx/xx/xxxx
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Petrographic Report
A Client
Photomicrographs B
Standard
Chlorite (chl) porphyroblasts and mica
layers in slate Image B Nikon Labophot petrological microscope Plane polarised transmitted light x100
